(Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Daxing International Airport)
China's civil aviation transport will see steady growth in the winter-spring season this year, with a comprehensive increase in flight volume between continents, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Friday.
From October 26 to March 28, 2026, 210 domestic and foreign airlines plan to arrange 119,500 passenger and cargo flights per week, 1.3 percent increase year-on-year, indicating "the industry is maintaining a trajectory of steady progress and a positive overall trend."
In terms of international flights, 21,427 passenger and cargo flights from 191 carriers are scheduled every week, connecting China and 83 other countries and regions, an increase of 10.8 percent than the same period of last year.
The CAAC said passenger flight volumes with 57 countries will exceed those of the previous winter-spring season, while cargo flight volumes with 21 countries will also see an increase. Additionally, flight volumes to all continents will experience comprehensive growth.
During the season, after a five-year hiatus, passenger routes between China and India are set to resume. The new season will see the launch of passenger routes to countries such as Oman and Argentina, as well as cargo routes to Panama, Chile, and Switzerland.
In addition, the route expansion in emerging markets has further advanced. Passenger flight volumes with Belt and Road partner countries accounted for 73.5 percent of the total, while passenger flights to Latin America and Africa increased by 32.1 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively, compared to the previous winter-spring season.
The new season will also introduce new capital-to-capital routes with Belt and Road partner countries such as Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Starting from October 26, Air China said it plans to operate 452 routes, including 114 international routes, 13 regional routes, and 325 domestic routes, connecting 46 countries and regions and covering 195 cities.
The airline will operate approximately 1,725 daily flights, with capacity increasing by about 8 percent compared to the January-September 2025 period and approximately 16 percent compared to the 2024/25 winter-spring season.
For international and regional flights, the airline plans to operate around 250 daily flights, with capacity growing by about 5 percent compared to January-September 2025 and approximately 13 percent compared to the 2024/25 winter-spring season.
Air China said during the new season, the C919 aircraft model will be deployed on new routes to cities such as Guangzhou, Xi'an, and Changsha.
Beijing Capital International Airport said on Friday that it has scheduled an average of 1,243 daily flights during the new aviation season. For passenger flights, there are 1,023 daily domestic flights, while international flights are expected to reach 166 per day, and the number of international destinations is expected to reach 80.
Beijing Daxing International Airport said is scheduled to serve 130 domestic passenger destinations and 40 international and regional destinations.
Regarding international and regional routes, China Southern Airlines launched a direct flight from Beijing Daxing to Doha, the capital of Qatar, on October 16. China Eastern Airlines plans to add flights from Beijing Daxing to destinations such as Bali, Phu Quoc Island, Kobe, and Sapporo.
China United Airlines plans to gradually launch international routes from Beijing Daxing to Japan and Southeast Asia.
